So Unmotivated Right Now

For the last four mods
I have had only one
assigned class
which in a way
has been nice.

I noticed with this last
week, I was never asked
to do a survey in order
to continue with my class

On Monday I start
another accounting class
This one will focus on
Taxes.  Good thing
I'm only getting one.

Taxes.  I hope that
I will understand and
stay focused.  Perhaps
one day I will
actually be able to
do my own.

Deception Among Oligopolies

        

                In November I had never heard of an oligopoly before.  I knew what they were, but until this last class I had (in economy) I didn't realize they had a specific name. I'm not saying all companies that happen to be in the Oligopoly or monopoly stage are necessarily bad companies.  The truth is the founder of the company may well have had extremely valid intentions (other than become a successful money maker who cares only about money) and may not even be involved with the company anymore as many founders are eventually kicked out of their own company (that doesn't seem right) but I am saying that there are many who make decisions, advertising for instance, that are done in a deceptive way.  Many businesses seem to get "too big for their breeches" that they have lost vision of what made the corporation great in the first place.  By the same token, consumers need to take responsibility also.  We don't have to put up with their malarkey, you know.  We have other options.  Or do we?

                I don't know how early it was proposed for a tax increase on businesses that could afford it to help the Oregon economy (see here).  I would guess that billions were spent on advertizing for or against.  Unfortunately, those against the proposal (the large companies, most I would suspect were oligopolies) had more to spend.  Both represented themselves as "small business owners" - the ones who actually were small business owners spoke from the heart.  They would give the reasons the economy would be changed if the voter voted "YES"

                The  large companies with money hired actors and actresses who read well and evidently were better at acting than say the geriatrics who "help me, I've fallen, and I can't get up" except THEY WERE READING - NOTHING WAS FROM THE HEART - they'd be ever so smug about it, using the name WILCO  - trying to deceive the public familiar with Winco perhaps (for example) and thinking they recognized the name.  Their deceitful ads worked.  The bill did not pass.  The small businesses suffer as a result.  But glory be to the oligopolies who were able to keep themselves from being taxed.  They must be so proud.

Bake Sale & Economy

          The tax proposal didn’t pass in November.  It wasn’t so much because people were opposed at having or keeping the library – they’ve just been opposed to paying for it.     On March 30, the Myrtle Creek library closed its doors.  They remain locked as some of us continue to fight for the cause.  I don’t know who is responsible for establishing the group, or just where everybody came from.  It was announced that a group would be forming for a non-profit organization which we had yet to name.

          The first four meetings or so took place at the school part of the Nazarene church.  There were over 30 people who attended.  Where were they when the library was looking for a new board member to replace Marilyn?  The only ones I recognized were those on the library board – and though it appeared some were on this new-founded committee, it didn’t appear that any of the board members were solely in charge.  I know Julienne had contributed to that first meeting but she wasn't the one conducting.  I was impressed by so many people with organizational skills that had brought us together for the same cause - but still felt somewhat confused with where that leadership had even come from.

          We decided to call our organization Friends of the Myrtle Creek Library, but ended up dropping “the”.  Someone had suggested that we have a bake sale not so much to raise money as it was to raise awareness.  The bake sale was on Saturday.  Richard and Jenna had gone to Roseburg and I was without a car until about 2:30 or so.  The bake sale had started at 11:00.  I didn’t arrive until between 2:30 and 3:00.

          Poor little Julienne.  She’d been there all day – or so it appears.  The day started out typical of last month, overcast and cool in the morning and didn’t warm up until 4:00 – which is when the bake sale ended.  I said  Jenna and I could stay if they needed us to.

          Julienne was wrapped in Jeanne’s coat.  She’d been freezing all morning .  Jeanne took Julienne home and Jenna and I stayed with Bob for the last hour of the bake sale.  Jenna was a natural saying “Hi” to each passerby and doing her best to sell the remainder of the baked goods.  Bob and I were talking about my most recent class.

          Funny how when I started my Philosopy class, I thought “eww. . .” and it turned out to be one of my favorite classes.  My economy class has also been a lot more enjoyable than what I had predicted – especially after eight weeks of feeling lost on a foreign language and loathing the teaching methods of and not relating to my instructor at all.

          I had done some research for this week’s topic. thought I would try a new approach for my assignment and had a large variety of references.  I can’t believe how smoothly my thoughts flowed and how I was able to segue one topic into the other.  It was great.  I stopped at 546 words thinking I would finish up sometime today with the other 54 plus. (600 are required) I actually did find a way to finish, but not in a way I would have expected.

          Yesterday, after I walked into the courthouse (as we no longer meet at the Nazarene and I think the city council is just more convenient for everybody involved) Bob handed me a book he had written.  He had even marked a page where I could find reference to go with my topic.  I think it’s really awesome – not only does it add value for my assignment but answers a few more questions about the history of Douglas County - Myrtle Creek in particular.

          Next week this class will be over and I will reveal this week’s two topics and share my posts and assignments.